WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has issued a side-effect safety warning about mistakenly using two Maalox products for the same symptoms.
The FDA said Maalox Total Relief and other Maalox products are intended for the relief of different symptoms and contain different active ingredients. The federal agency said Maalox Total Relief is an upset-stomach reliever and anti-diarrheal medication, while traditional Maalox liquid products Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength are antacids.
"Maalox Total Relief and Maalox are not interchangeable and shouldn't be used in place of each other," said Carol Holquist, director of the FDA's Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis.
The FDA said the maker of Maalox-brand products, Novartis Consumer Health Inc., has agreed to change the name of Maalox Total Relief to one that does not include the word "Maalox" and will also change the drug's packaging to avoid further confusion.
Until the renamed product is available, the FDA says it's advising consumers and healthcare professionals to carefully check the labels of all Maalox products to ensure the appropriate product is being selected for correct symptoms.
